Romans 12:1: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Halfway commitment is irrational. To decide to give part of your life to God and keep other parts for yourself—to say “Everything is yours, Lord, but this relationship, this deal, this pleasure”—is beyond spiritual logic! If we are worshiping apart from commitment to God, it is false worship. We are deceiving ourselves if we are doing “Christian things” but are not consecrated to Jesus Christ. Sam Shoemaker said it well: “To be a Christian means to give as much of myself as I can to as much of Jesus Christ as I know.” This is why as we grow in the knowledge of his mercy we should be more committed at age twenty-one than sixteen, and more so at thirty-five,forty-five, sixty and seventy! 1
Application
- If you evaluate your service to the Lord, would you consider your time, your quality of service, and your financial giving as reasonable sacrifice?
- Jesus gave His life for you. What should be your reasonable response to Him?
Prayer
Lord, I want to become a living sacrifice for You. Please help me.
1. Hughes, R. K. (1991). Romans: righteousness from heaven. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.